The Girl With the Flowers
by Katherine789
Summary: Corporal Rivaille just happened to be in the Shinganshina District on That Day. Hours before the incident he met a young girl. When she becomes orphaned, he takes her in and helps her train for the next five years before she enters the military. Over time his feelings for the young girl change... and he is unsure of what they mean. Rivaille X OC pairing
1. Chapter 1

So I decided to make a new story featuring Rivaille (I love him) and an OC. I really hope you enjoy! :D

**DISCLAIMER: **I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

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He was by far the strongest and most able soldier of all the graduates in his class. He had been working for the Scouting Legion for ten years now and had proven himself to be the most confident when killing the Titans. Over the last few years he had managed to work his way up into the ranks and was now a corporal in the Legion. He was a neat freak which resorted into many of his killings being done with grace and composure. Because of his talents, he was well known throughout all the districts.

One particular day after he had returned from outside the walls, he and several men returned to the district of Shinganshina. As they walked through the streets he noticed people staring with pity and sadness. Their expedition outside had done nothing to further their research on the Titans and to have to face these people with that proved to be humiliating. However there were those that watched them with awe and respect. He noticed two children from the corner of his eye and one of them had a large grin on his face which made him feel suddenly ashamed. It was embarrassing that they had found nothing. And to these innocent kids they looked like heroes when in fact they weren't even close to it. Soldiers were dying left, right and center and for what? There was no reason for them to die.

The next day was just like any other day. Rivaille and two other men had decided to stay overnight in the Shinganshina district before heading back to headquarters. Commander Erwin had given the soldiers twenty four hours to do whatever before returning to headquarters. Rivaille had spent most of that time in an in room in the Shinganshina district doing nothing except cleaning the room to his expectations before heading to bed. In the morning he woke up rather moody. He was still a bit shaken from yesterday's expedition outside. He prepared himself and went downstairs to check himself out of the inn. He frowned when he stepped out into the bright sunlight and began his travel back to headquarters. On his way he noticed a girl who looked about eight or so selling little flowers. She had long brown hair that touched her waist and big blue eyes that looked pleading. She He had to laugh a bit to himself. What was a young girl like her doing trying to sell flowers she probably just picked from off the streets. But he did take notice of the people who didn't even stop to look at her. He watched her for a moment and realized that not a single person was stopping for her. He frowned and he stepped closer to her. As he neared her, a burly man with dark hair pushed her down on the ground before turning to look at her.

"Hey brat! Get outta my way!" he shouted.

"S-sorry," said the young girl. She was clearly frightened but Rivaille was amazed when she quickly ran to her basket of flowers and picked a nice blue one and rushed over to the big man and handed it to him. "I'm very sorry," she said and she bowed her head.

"What the hell is this?" he bellowed and he threw the flower back into her face before pushing her down onto the ground again. He then grabbed the basket of flowers from her small hands and threw it against the wall behind her, sending them flying about. "Why the hell do I need a shitty flower like that?! Dumb kid, who do you think I am?!" shouted the man and he raised a hand to hit her.

Before he could though, Rivaille intervened and caught his hand before he could touch a hair on the little girl's head. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked the taller man and he glared at him. "She's just a child. She doesn't mean any harm."

"Let go shorty!"

With that, Rivaille sent him down on his back. "What did you just call me?"

"Who do you think you are?!" shouted the man. Realization came to him quick when he noticed the uniform of the corporal and he looked away, defeated. "Damn..." he said quietly.

"I am Lance Corporal Rivaille," replied the shorter man and he turned away from the brute and looked at the younger girl who was still on the ground. He knelt down on one knee in front of her and frowned. "You're fine, right?" he asked. He looked at the flowers that were now in a mess all over the ground. He sighed but then looked back at her for her response.

"I'm... okay," she said.

He held a hand out to her. Her face went red in embarrassment as she took the older man's hand. Without hesitation he helped her up.

"Then I'll be on my way," he said and he turned to leave.

'W-wait!" she said and she quickly rummaged through all the flowers and picked out the nicest looking one and ran over to him. She offered up the flower to him, a smile spread across her face. "Thank you very much," she said softly. "I'm happy there are people like you out there to protect us," she said and her smiled turned into a grin.

He reached out and accepted her flower in which she looked very pleased. He didn't smile, but merely patted her head. From his jacket pocket he took a few gold coins out and placed them into her open hands. "That's for all the flowers. They were lovely," he said gently as he brought the flower to his lips. He then kissed the flower she had given him and looked back at her. "And this one is the most beautiful of them all." With that he turned on his heel and continued on back to the gates to the next district.

The young girl's face was extremely flushed for she had seen moments like these happen between her parents and others. She smiled and in her heart she hoped that one day she would meet this man again.

* * *

Rivaille decided to stay a bit longer and look around the district at some of the stalls. He never really had time for this so he took the opportunity to get aquainted to the place before he had to leave. It was actually quite a quiet place with many happy and polite people. There were some townsfolk who looked frightened whenever he passed by and it made him feel uncomfortable at times. The next few hours he spent in the district before he noticed the sun beginning to set. If he didn't leave now he would be late. Without any other word he turned and headed towards the gates. Before he made it to the gates, something made the earth move which sent him flying. As he got up he could see people running past him and when he looked up he saw something peering over the fifty meter wall. It was a titan. Rivaille stood in shock as he had never seen a titan so big. Back in his classes he tried to remember if they had learned of any titan being this large but he was sure that there was no such thing until now. Seconds later came a crash and people screamed.

"The titan! It made a hole the wall!"

"Oh my God! Titans! Titans are coming in through the wall!"

Rivaille clenched his fists. He was sure there was no one from the Legion in the district at this time. There were Garrison soldiers no doubt... but they weren't cut out for this. He swung himself onto the rooftops with his 3D maneuver gear and ran across the buildings towards the front gates. He could see townspeople being eaten and he forced himself to look away. "Shit..." was all he said. As much as he wanted to, there was no way he could take down all the titans. He stopped when he heard a loud scream. He looked about for the screamer but couldn't see where they were. The scream came again and again and he desperately tried to find the one screaming. Finally his eyes found there way to the one screaming. His eyes widened at the familiarity of the person. She had long brown hair and blue eyes. She looked a lot different then when he saw her earlier but he made his way over to her as fast as he could. He noticed a titan near her and he felt suddenly nervous. He tried picking up his speed but there was no use. There was no way he could make it on time. He watched as the titan picked up the young girl.

"HELP!" she screamed and Rivaille closed his eyes as he moved closer and closer. Suddenly her words from before rang in his mind.

_"I'm happy there are people like you out there to protect us."_

He cursed to himself and he flung himself even further than ever before. He landed a few feet away from the titan and he looked at the young girl who was inches away from the titan's wide open mouth. When she saw the corporal, her eyes widened and tears began flowing from her large blue eyes.

"You fucker..." he said as he readied himself for the kill. "Bastards like you need to die!" he shouted and in one spiral, he made a clean cut at the flesh on the back of the titan's neck and before she fell, caught the girl mid air. He watched as the titan fell to the ground and began decomposing. He brought the girl down to the ground and placed her on a wooden box. Before he could say anything to her, her small arms wrapped around his neck and she hugged him tightly. Rivaille could feel her warmth and gently put a hand on her back and patted her soothingly. "It's okay now," he told her. "Where is your mother and father? I should take you to them, okay?"

"They're gone."

"Gone? Where?" It took him a second before she realized what she meant.

"My mommy and daddy got sick last year... they went to Heaven. But my older brother is a Garrison soldier... but he-he was..." she started but tears began streaming down her face once again. "He was near the front gates!" she cried. "He's probably dead! My brother is..." She couldn't get out the last words. She sobbed and screamed in frustration as Rivaille watched her. He was unsure of what to do. Should he hug her? Comfort her? Tell her her brother wasn't dead. No... there was no proof of his survival so it was something he couldn't say.

"I'm sorry..." was all he could think of to say.

She looked at him, her face stained with tears and she hugged him again. As he didn't know what else to do, he gently wrapped his arms around her small waist and held her close to him. He sat her in his lap and rocked her as if he were rocking a baby. She didn't push him away so he continued with it. He did feel a sharp pain in his chest. She was young... and now she was an orphan. She rested her head on his shoulder as he rocked her and she herself continued to cry. They stayed like that for a few minutes before he gently lifted her off of him. He readied his 3D maneuver gear and he looked at her.

"Come here."

She nodded and he lifted her into his arms and flew himself away from all the wreckage. When they got to the boats he pushed through the crowds and placed her on one of them. He patted her head and she looked at him in confusion.

"Sorry. I have to stay here."

He could see her surprise at this and her eyes began to fill with fear. "No..." she said. "What if you die?"

"I'm not going to die. I promise."

"How can you promise that?!" she shouted, new tears forming.

He forced himself to look away from the young weeping girl. "I will promise you I will return. So... wait for me," was all he said before he leaped off the boat and onto the docks. "Wait for me, okay?" he shouted to her. He could see her nod and he felt a little guilty for leaving her there. However, he had been serious. He had no intentions of dying that day and he would return to her. He clenched his fists at his side and he took a deep breath. Why had he promised her that? He groaned in frustration before turning away from the boats and went to help the soldier at the gates. Even if it seemed like an impossible task to stay alive, he would do it. He would return home alive.

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Note: Forgive me if Rivaille is OOC T.T I just have him all perfect in my mind and yeah. :0

Note 2: I understand fully that Rivaille was not in the Shinganshina district on That Day but it's a fanfiction... does not mean that everything I write actually happened ._.

Note 3: I accept all kinds of review, including constructive criticism. I do not accept insults... they make me sad. Instead of insulting, tell me what I can do to make the story better and I will try to incorporate it into the story! :D Thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

Rivaille helped as many people as he could get out of the Shiganshina District. But when there were no more boats, most of the Garrison soldiers began to panic and they fled, leaving the others behind. As much as he himself wanted to leave there was no way he could. He sighed and continued to think of ways he could save these people. He couldn't think of any. The boats were gone and the gates were going to be closed. He brought a hand to his forehead and wiped away the sweat that had begun to build up. He then remembered his words to the young girl... he had promised to stay alive. What would happen to her if he didn't return? No... even if he returned there was nothing he could do for her anyway. He cursed under his breath and he watched the district fall in to a huge panic. There was nothing he could do for these people and it made him angry. He was a soldier. His job was to protect everyone... but he couldn't. Suddenly the retreat alarm was sounded and he looked towards the gates. They were closing and he himself began to panic. He didn't want to leave these people but somewhere deep inside he didn't want to break his promise to the young girl. He shook his head. "FUCK!" he shouted as he ran towards the closing gates. He managed to grab six children and a baby on his way and he hurriedly brought them through before the gates came crashing down. He leaned himself against a wall and slid himself down. He felt like crying but there was no way he was going to.

"Corporal. There was nothing you could do."

Surprised at the familiar voice he looked up to see his commander, Erwin. He felt somewhat relieved at the sight of him but he still felt a tremendous guilt in leaving the people in the other district. "Damn it commander... things like this... just aren't supposed to happen," he said and he angrily punched the wall behind him. 'Things like this... we were just not prepared for."

"There was no way of knowing that this was going to happen. Corporal... you don't have to feel so bad about it. We did our best as soldiers. What we did was all we could have done. What you did... was more than enough. You should be feeling proud, not guilty," said Erwin and he looked towards the gates. "Those people... " he paused. "Rivaille. Don't beat yourself up about it."

"But I could have saved them. I should have been able to save them."

"No. There was nothing you could do."

"I'm a soldier, Commander. I was trained to protect those in need. If I couldn't even save those people... what kind of soldier does that make me? I'm so weak... I should've been able to! I should've! Yet I wasn't able to and-" Rivaille felt his head snap to the right and his left cheek stung. He lifted a hand to his cheek before looking back at the commander. Why did he slap him?

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself and just accept that you couldn't save them. You aren't weak. You are the strongest and most talented soldier of all those in my Legion. All of us failed to protect those. It isn't just you who feels guilt. But most of us have accepted the fact that there was nothing any of us could have done. Corporal... I suggest you do the same," said Erwin and he left Rivaille sitting on the ground.

Rivaille put his head in his hands and shook his head. How could he do such a thing as accept his failure. He remained this way for an hour or so before he felt a small hand run through his hair. He immediately looked up to see the young girl from before. His eyes widened when he saw her and he was at a loss of words. He felt a little relieved that she was unharmed but he showed no expression to hint that he was. Instead he frowned. "Hey. Brat. How did you get in here? This is a military post," he said.

"Oh..." she looked down at the ground and twiddled her thumbs. "Well you see..."

"What?"

"I told the man in charge... the blonde haired one... that I was your sister," she said and she bit her lip. "He told me where I could find you and so I came to make sure you were okay."

The blonde haired man in charge? Did she mean Erwin? He felt himself laugh inside. Commander Erwin was fully aware that he had no family whatsoever. What was he trying to accomplish by sending this girl to look for him. He shook his head and sighed. "Damn that guy..." he muttered before looking towards the young girl again. "So you're my sister?" he asked her.

Her face became a deep shade of red. "I'm sorry... I didn't know what to say. I was really worried you weren't going to come out alive so I just had to make sure! Please... don't be angry with me," she said softly.

"Angry? I'm not angry with you. I'm just surprised you'd lie towards an adult just to see me. Besides... I made you a promise didn't I? I'd come find you when I came back. I did as I promised."

He watched as her eyes lit up and a wide smile spread across her face. "I'm happy you came back," she said and she took his hand in hers and held it tightly. "I was... worried you may not come back at all. I'm sorry for doubting you, but I am very happy that you were able to survive. I am relieved that you didn't die along with the other poor souls..." she whispered softly.

Rivaille jerked his hand away and stood up.

"Did I say something wrong?" she asked, her smile suddenly disappearing.

Unable to say anything, the corporal could only shake his head. She was just a kid. There was no reason to be angry with her. She didn't understand what it was like to be the one who had to leave all of those people behind. Instead of making her even more sad, he took her hand and looked at her gently. "Hey... I never got your name," he said and he sighed.

"Oh! My name is Anna. Anna Lehrer."

"Lehrer? Your father was a teacher?"

She nodded. "Yes. And you... you're name is Rivaille?"

He nodded in response. "Yes." He looked her over. This girl... once he left she would become an orphan. She would most likely end up a starving young child in the streets. Thinking about it made him angry but there was nothing he could do about that either. It's not like he could take her in. He was a military man and it would be a hassle to cloth and feed a young girl... especially because he was a girl. Growing up, he himself didn't spend much time with his parents until their death when he was barely nine years old. He regretted not being closer to his parents but he found himself able to do work underground until he joined the military. He didn't know how to take care of anyone else but himself. He frowned at the girl in front of him.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing," he said and he shook his head. "Anna. How old are you?"

"I am ten years old," she said. "My birthday was a few months ago. What about you? How old are you?"

Rivaille raised an eyebrow. Why did she want to know? He amusedly let out a small and barely noticeable laugh before he put a hand on her head. "I am twenty five years old," he told her and he ran a hand through her hair.

She smiled at him but it soon faded and she looked at the ground. "Rivaille...?"

"Yes?"

"What's going to happen to me?" she asked and she reached out and grabbed his green cape. "I-I don't want to be left alone. I know that you probably don't want to take me in... but I have nowhere else to go. I know it's selfish of me to ask that you take care of me. But I will do my best and find myself a job so I can pay you to live with you."

"That won't be necessary."

Her face fell and she bit her lip. "Does that mean that you won't take me in?"

"No. It means that I will take you into my care but I have my own conditions for you," he said. He immediately regretted his decision and he kicked a stone into the wall and sighed. "My only condition is that you train with me for the next five years before you enlist into the military. In those five years I will keep a book of all expenses that I spend on you. If you succeed in making the top ten in your class then I will burn the book and we will never talk about it again. If you don't make the top ten, you will find a way to pay me back in full. Do you understand?"

He watched the girl smile and he wondered why she was so happy about that condition.

"I understand. Just watch Rivaille. I'm going to make the top ten!"

He smirked and the ran a hand through her hair. "Let's see shall we."


End file.
